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College of distinction: New College Telford results beat the national average

02 Aug 2017

New College Telford students have outperformed the national average, with a string of distinction grades across a wide range of courses.

Health and Social Care, Sport, Music, Biology, IT, Law and Performing Arts courses have all produced a proportion of distinction grades which is comfortably ahead of the UK average.

Mandy Parker, head of vocational studies and higher education, said: “Our students have consistently delivered results which are above the national average, and these are another set of excellent results.

“Over the past year, more than 85 per cent of our BTEC programmes have performed better than the national average for high grades. And every single one of our level two BTEC courses, were all at least 15 per cent ahead."

The level three Health and Social Care BTEC course – new this year at New College Telford – registered a 100 per cent pass rate at distinction, or distinction star.

Music students also topped the national average for distinction qualifications, in both Music Technology and Music Events. On the Music Technology course, the 65 per cent high grade rate was the best in four years.

There was also 100 per cent return of distinction-level grades from BTEC level three Sport (Outdoor Adventure) certificate and diploma courses, and a 91 per cent success in the level three sub diploma in Applied Biology.

Level three certificate and diploma courses in IT, Applied Law, and Performing Arts all recorded distinction rates above 70 per cent.

New College Telford is hoping to follow this up with similar success when the latest set of A Level results will be announced on August 17.

Last year the college recorded an overall 97 per cent pass rate, and 100 per cent in many subjects including Maths, Chemistry, Art, English, Film Studies, Media, and History.

Education watchdog Ofsted recognised the quality of New College Telford's vocational programmes in its last visit.

The report said: “Learners on vocational programmes make good progress as a result of the good planning by teachers to extend prior learning and link their studies to the world of work."